NDC postpones flagbearer election

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has postponed the party’s flagbearer election slated for Saturday, January 26, until it settles a court case brought against it by two of its members.

Two members of the party, Mr Abdallah Issah and Mr James Kabu Nartey-Oman sued the party in December last year over the guidelines governing the party’s presidential primary.

Mr Kobby Barlon, a Deputy National Organiser of the NDC, told the GNA on Tuesday that both the plaintiffs and defendants had agreed on an out-of-court settlement when they appeared before an Accra High Court on Monday, January 14.

He said the court presided over by Mrs Georgina Mensah-Datsa asked the parties to the case to furnish it with the terms of the settlement on Thursday, January 17.

Therefore, the party’s hierarchy would soon meet and fix a new date for the party’s presidential election.

In the substantive case, the two NDC members are seeking the court to declare the published guidelines for the conduct of the party’s presidential primary as null and void.

They wanted the court to declare that the procedures adopted by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) in the preparation and presentation of the guidelines, together with the amendment without prior consultation of the National Council of Elders as unlawful.

The two also wanted the NEC to organise the election in a free, fair and transparent manner while ensuring inclusiveness in accordance with the party’s Constitution.

The court case has caused the party to halt the vetting of the Presidential aspirants of the party, which was slated for January 20.

So far, seven aspirants have filed their nominations to contest the party’s flagbearer slot including; Mr Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Professor Joshua Alabi, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies and former President John Dramani Mahama.

The rest are; Mr Sylvester Mensah, former Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Mr Nurideen Iddrisu, a Businessman, Dr Ekwow Spio-Gabrah, former Minister of Trade and Industry and Mr Goosie Tanoh, a Cadre of the party.